Episode Two
SISTA TWO

Chapter Six

CYD

< CABIN >

Max and Logan were deciding on the course of action as the X9 sat on the dining table and ate her breakfast.  She looked like she had not eaten since Manticore had been burned down and they had been set out onto the world.  She was munching greedily on the food set before her, taking down her 4^th glass of milk.  Max caught Logan’s attention, which was disconcertingly focused on the little girl.   

She asked him once again, “Should I go and talk to lizards?”

Logan looked at her then and smiled, “I thought it was just you and your brothers and sisters, but when Manticore made all of you, it made sure you could run the country dry of supply from the food cycle.”  He motioned at the eating child, “The food cycle could not keep up with all of you out of Manticore if you all continue eating like that, Max.” He then turned and tried to concentrate on what Max was saying.

Max smiled at him, “Hey.  Got enhanced abilities to feed our bodily sugar into!”  Then Max’s face grew serious.  “Gotta take her, Logan… Seattle’s a bitch, but we can’t just leave her.”

Logan looked straight into Max’s eyes, seeing the mix of emotions there.  He could see her struggle between wanting the kid to be Tinga and trying to tell herself that Tinga is already dead… and has been for quite a while now.  Can he blame her? She really wasn’t given a chance to grieve for her sister… none of them were.  He nodded, “I can put her under the wings of some Eyes Only contacts… if that’s what you want.”

Max shrugged, “Thing is… it’s not really my decision.”

The young girl turned towards them, not oblivious to what they had been talking about.  She raised her glass of milk and asked, “Can have another glass of milk?”

Logan smiled and motioned with his head, “Sure you can, sport.  There’s a carton or two inside the fridge.”

The X9 went and got her milk and cleaned after herself.  Max then offered her the use of the bathroom and one of her tank tops to change in.  A few minutes later, the little girl went up into the living room, facing Max and Logan.  “Thank you for the food… and for the tryptophan.  I could do some work in exchange for them, sir.”

Logan smiled at the girl to ease her tension out and indicated at the couch where Max is seated, “Have a seat.”

The X9 went to the couch and sat with her back straight, “Thank you, sir.”

Logan shook his head, still smiling, “You don’t have to call me “sir”.  My name’s Logan and this, here is Max.”

Max smiled at the child, still marveling at how the child could look like Tinga at that age. “Hey.”

The child looked at her directly, recalling seeing her at Manticore, “Good morning, Ma’m.”

“It’s Max.”

Having glimpsed on Max’s barcode when Max helped her, the child looked right through Max and said, “Permission to speak Ma’m.”

Max shook her head to disagree with the way that the child spoke to her, “You can speak anytime you like.  You don’t have to ask permission from anyone.”  The child looked at Max confusedly, “You’re an X-series, what’s your name?”

The girl opened her mouth as if to say something, closed it and then tried again, “Yes… Ma- Max.  I’m X9-656.”

~~~ FLASH BACK ~~~~~~

TINGA: Pretty much. I wish I could give Charlie… a heads-up, but I got to figure Lydecker's got the phones tapped.

MAX: We only got one shot at this. We have to get them both at the same time.

TINGA: He walks Case to school every morning. We could do it there. (Sighs)

MAX: It's going to be okay.

TINGA: I wanted to go back for them, Max… you know, but how could I? What if I led Lydecker to them?

MAX: I know.

TINGA: I thought they would be safer this way.

MAX: You're going to be together again. I promise.

~~~ END OF FLASH BACK ~~~~~~

“No. Not your designation, your name?”

The girl looked at Max, then at Logan and back to Max.  “XP-656.  I only have a designation.”

Max looked at the girl intently in the eyes, “You gotta choose a name for yourself.”

“I don’t know any… I did get to meet some kid… her name’s Moira… she has this friend. Only, she’s not real-”

Max smiled, a little hesitant, “You sure you wanna get to this?”

“ – she has an unknown designation – Cyd… I like it.”

Logan, who was witnessing the whole exchange, suddenly clapped his hands together and said, “Cyd it is!”  He smiled at Max ruefully, teasing her.

Max merely smiled at that, “Sure is.” 

~~~ FLASH BACK ~~~~~~

(Max is guiding Tinga to a couch for Case in Logan's apartment. Tinga puts Case down.)

MAX: Is this okay?

TINGA: (to Max) Yeah. (to Case) Shh.

CASE: Mommy, tell me a story.

TINGA: Okay, baby. What do you want to hear?

CASE: About the princess. What happened once she ran away from the castle?

TINGA: Well, she met her prince and they fell in love and they had a family.

CASE: Did they live happily ever after?

TINGA: I don't know, baby. I hope so.

~~~ END OF FLASH BACK ~~~~~~

On a more serious note, she inquired from Cyd, “How long has it been since you haven’t gotten any medications?”  When Cyd did not look like she knew what Max was talking about, Max continued to clarify, “…for the seizures?”

“Since Manticore -”

Logan nodded, his eyebrows meeting in worry, “Nine months ago.”

“We can usually run for 6-8 months without the medicine.  I tried getting it from some pharmacy, but they don’t have the kind of medicine from Manticore.”

Max nodded in understanding, “No.  They won’t.  What do you say to some lights out?  Stabilize yourself and all.”

“I can function -”

Logan shook his head affectionately. “You wouldn’t be needing to do anything right now, anyway.  Go ahead.”  Cyd looked at Max and at Max’s prompting, she stood up to go to the bedroom and rest.

Logan looked at Max a bit alarmed, “You haven’t had the seizures -”

Max shook her head, “Been taking my meds…” At Logan’s inquiring look, “…your men have been very helpful… ensuring I get some during shipments and all.”

Logan nodded at Max’s explanation, “You do realize that we could either leave her here, where she might get discovered… and without the benefit of tryptophan available over the counter, or we could hook up with her and use the Eyes Only informant net.”

Max was just about contemplating that part, knowing fully well that she and Logan had no choice, but to bring Cyd with them to Seattle – as insane as the whole dealio was. “Mmm… gotta brief Zane and Jhondy about Cyd.”

Later during the day, Max and Logan left a note for Cyd, in case she wakes up in the middle of the morning, and went into town.  At a diner cum bar, they were met with news about some transgenic freak that the local news said were headed for the town.  As they were eating their lunch, a picture of the police running after Cyd from some local pharmacy outside of town was shown on TV.  Logan and Max merely looked at each other as the waitress brought the paper bag full of 2 huge cheeseburgers and lots of fries inside.  They continued eating their food.

The man behind Max turned his head to them and said meanly, “Those police officers out there should have shot that transgenic freak  …Let’s see how they’d deal with a gunshot wound, those freaks!”

Logan gave the man a weak smile, as his eyes grew deadly.  It was a good thing that the man turned his head into his own booth again.  Meanwhile, Max’s eyes grew deadly hard as she tried to relax her death-grip in the fork she was holding.  Max and Logan shared a look as Logan’s gloved hand closed over Max’s gloved ones both to support Max and prevent her bad-assed attitude from getting the best of her.  They did not need to attract attention, not when they’re gathering some evidence regarding the presence of Sandeman.  They had to get out of this town as quietly as they came in.

The waiter came over and brought 2 huge milkshakes.  “You folks staying long?”

Logan turned to look up at her and said in a strained voice, “No.  Actually, we’re just passing through. My… wife here needed the vacation…” He indicated Max whose face still conveyed like she was ready to pounce on someone.

The waitress looked at Max and said, “Looks to me like she needs some more fresh air, if you ask me.”  At that she walked away to tend to the table at the end of the diner.”

Max nearly stood up.  Her hands started pushing onto the table, but Logan, feeling the change in her grip on the table as well as knowing Max, stopped her before she was able to stand. “Max.”  She looked at him, her eyes deadly. “We don’t need this.”  He looked straight into Max’s eyes and shook his head.  Max’s eyes only looked at Logan’s indicating her hatred for what was happening. 

Max’s face became devoid of emotion as she said, “Let’s get outta here.”

Logan nodded in understanding, “Okay.”  He took his wallet, dropped some bills to pay for their food and picked up the paper bag full of burgers and fries as well as the paper tray containing the 2 milkshakes.  Max opened the Aztec’s door and got in the car.  Logan opened his side of the car and got in as well, dumping the bag at the back and the milkshakes on the floor at the back as well.  He faced the wheel and started the Aztec.  Expelling the breath he has been holding, he got a bit irritated at Max’s attitude, “I guess I should be berated at for not wanting to attract attention.”  Max did not say anything, but merely stared in front as Logan started the car.  In his irritation, Logan could not help saying sarcastically, “And I certainly deserve the silent treatment for not being berated at as I continuously make fun -” Max turned her face to look pointedly at Logan, sending the message that she wanted him to just shut up.  But Logan was also at the end of his wits, “And that certainly should help me keep my opinions to myself.”

Max turned her head back on the road.  When they would have passed through Frank’s and Marla’ hotel, Logan stopped the car in front, got up, talked to Frank for a few minutes.  Frank waved at Max who was inside the car, looking at Logan and Frank.  She waved right back.  Logan then went into the car and they drove back into the cabin.  As they turned towards the cabin, Max fidgeted with her hands again, “Listen…” Logan remained silent, his face still hardened by his temper.  “I shouldn’t have… it wasn’t your fault.”  Logan turned the car in front of the cabin and turned off the engine.  He placed his hand on the steering wheel and let out a sigh. “I mean, you weren’t the one -”

At that, Logan immediately turned to Max and cradled her face with his gloved hands.  He looked into her eyes and said, “I know.  I also shouldn’t have -”

Max closed her eyes and sighed, “It wasn’t your fault…”

Logan brought Max into his arms, head forehead touching his chest as his hand smoothed over her hair.  He looked at the trees at outside Max’s window and whispered to Max, “Some of it was… it’s okay, Max.  It’s tough, but -”

“You got any food?”  Cyd’s voice interrupted them as she stood beside Logan’s side of the Aztec. 

Logan closed his eyes and smiled as he turned towards Cyd and said, “As a matter of fact, we do.”  He let go of Max just as she got herself from his embrace and smiled at Cyd.  Max reached behind the Aztec and handed the bag over to Logan so he could give it to Cyd, who stepped aside to allow Logan passage from the car.  He handed her the bag as Max got the milk shakes and got out of the car. Logan placed his hand on Cyd’s shoulder and said as Max followed them into the cabin bringing in the milk shakes, “Let’s go, sport.”

That afternoon, Max and Logan told Cyd about Zane and Jhondy and then they explained the video footage to Cyd.

“…They got your face all over town and maybe even all over the state, which means that people are looking for you.”

Cyd’s face contorted, “I’m fast.  I can outrun them. Besides, I’m a soldier.”

Max kneeled in front of Cyd, “See here, Cyd.  You’re out of Manticore.  You don’t have to be a soldier anymore.”

Logan supported Max, “And sport, there are too many of them for you to escape.”

“I can hide… escape and evade.”

Max tried once more to explain to Cyd the situation, “You can’t run forever.  Plus, you’re not immune to bullets… none of us are.  If you run, on your own and without medication, who knows what could happen?”

“Which is why we want you to come with us to Seattle.  I know some people.  We could hook you up across the border.”

Cyd seemed to think this through as Max and Logan waited for her response.  She then nodded her assent, “Okay.”  She looked at Max and asked, “We leave at twenty-two hundred right?”

Max nodded, “Yes.  You can rest till then.”  She had noticed that Cyd’s hands were still a bit shaky for being out of the Manticore medicine for nine months.  As Cyd stood up, Max held her hand out to stop her, “There’s some tryptophan pills on the dresser.  I left them for you… just in case.”

***********

Author's Notes here

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